


A Fresh Start, An Opened Heart

by SunsetScomiche



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Accidents, Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers (2012), Coffee, Coming Out, Fluff, M/M, Mention of Nick Fury - Freeform, Mentions of Pepper Potts - Freeform, New Year's Eve, Pepper Potts Is a Good Bro, Prompt Fic, Science Bros, Three Things Prompt, Wth happened to Science Bros Secret Santa?, anyway, here's a thing, written as a gift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-25 23:56:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13223913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunsetScomiche/pseuds/SunsetScomiche
Summary: Tony stopped in his tracks, and Bruce eyed him curiously. “What, you can’t survive the night without JARVIS’ clock?”“Ah-”





	A Fresh Start, An Opened Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gavilan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gavilan/gifts).



> Written as a New Year’s gift for my dear new editor. Prompt taken from a list she had sent me. Happy New year, everyone! <3
> 
> Prompt:  
> Fireworks, a broken clock, a toast

Tony sat at the stuffy mahogany desk in his tower office, sighing as  yet another dial tone rang in his ear. 

With Pepper out of town, Rhodey out of the country, and Happy out of commission on a very well-deserved break, Tony had all but run out of options for celebrating New Year’s. After a year full of aliens and near-death experiences, his usual mega-party (which would inevitably trash the tower and only cause more work in the long run) didn’t seem quite so appealing. Then again, getting falling-over drunk  _ alone _ in the tower wasn’t quite the way he wanted to ring in the new year, either.

Still, Tony certainly wasn’t going to miss out on an opportunity to commemorate having survived yet another year with all of his body parts intact, titanium heart included. Even when an alien race had tried to destroy New York, Tony had made it out on the right side of things. 

Of course, some of the credit for that went to his big green friend, the only one of that ragtag bunch who had even bothered to stick around afterward. “The Avengers” had turned out to be nothing more than a gleam in Nick Fury’s one good eye. And yet, Bruce had opted to stay and work with Tony in the tower. For what reason, Tony wasn't sure. Bruce kept to himself far too much for that. The only time Tony had allowed himself to ask, Bruce had said that it was a good offer for him, that it allowed him opportunities to work that he hadn’t been afforded in years. 

Unfortunately, work was all Bruce ever did. He was hell-bent on finding a cure for everything under the sun. God only knew how many lives he’d saved with all the diseases he’d cured. Tony was content to give him access to every piece of technology he owned, right down to a shared space in his personal lab. Of course, none of that would make Bruce admit that what he was really searching for was a cure for the Hulk. 

In any case, Tony needed a friend to spend New Year's with, and there was something he wanted to tell Bruce that had really been weighing on his mind. 

Quickly, Tony turned in his chair and surveyed the bright blue of the New York skyline  before him .

“JARVIS?” he clipped, smiling at the sleek metallic voice that answered him.

“Yes, sir?”

“Open up a new project file. Privacy level: Alpha.”

“Of course, Master Stark. What operational setting will this file be under?”

Nervousness began to well up in Tony's chest, but he cleared his throat and shoved it aside.

“Personal.”

Interest seemed to rise in the robotic voice. “And what task will this project aim to complete?”

Tony's chest rose and fell quickly as he blew out a nervous breath. 

“Two tasks, actually,” he corrected, putting on his usual air of nonchalance for no one but himself. “One: To spend an awesome New Year's Eve with my favorite science bro. And, two: To tell him that I'm gay.”

A pause fell over the room as JARVIS logged the information and Tony stared out into the distance.

“Congratulations, sir. Not including myself, Dr. Banner will be the fifth person with whom you have shared that information. Am I correct in assuming a trend?”

Tony smiled, turning away from the falling mid-afternoon sun to rise from his chair. Silently, he passed the dark, wooden desk and stepped forward into the sea of floating blue screens that washed over the room. 

“One more thing, sir. What codename shall we give the file?”

With a short snicker, Tony replied, “Codename: Rainbow Brite. And set the project deadline for midnight. What better way to start the new year, am I right?”

JARVIS replied as though he had just given a short laugh. “Aren't you always?”

✿✿✿

Convincing Bruce had not been quite so easy. It was hard enough to make him understand that Tony  _ wasn't _ planning on having a full-out party in the middle of the lab. But, Tony could have sworn he'd seen green flash in the doctor’s eyes when he'd suggested that they spend the entire evening alone with each other.

“Come  _ on _ , Bruce. It'll be  _ fun _ ,” he’d begged. “Think of all the projects we could get done.”

Bruce’s gaze had flicked back up from the lab table at that, but his voice had remained firm. “I am perfectly capable of handling the work on my own, Tony. You know that. Besides, don't you have other things you want to do that night?”

“None that I can't put off for another time. But fine, if you  _ don't _ want me to crack out the new Expo tech I built and test it with you,” Tony had taunted, swinging his hip to one side and placing his hand firmly on the table near him.

Never let it be said that Bruce Banner doesn't cave for the chance to work with well-built technology.

“Just don't bring any alcohol and you've got a deal,” he said, eyeing Tony with a sharp gaze.

“You're no fun,” Tony replied, smiling all the same.

✿✿✿

Despite not being allowed to bring any alcohol, Tony had brought coffee, and loads of it. By the time 11 PM had rolled around, Tony's fingers were  shaking and Bruce was trying hard to fight off a caffeine high.  Shaking it off, Tony had set himself to work on the new prototype for the next arc reactor, which he could see Bruce eyeing  interestedly from across the room. 

About forty-five minutes later, the prototype was almost finished. Tony glanced up at Bruce, who was bent over his own table, holding a long, needle-like instrument over a glass dish. 

“Wanna see?” Tony asked, gesturing at the bright silver contraption propped above his table.

Bruce groaned from behind his goggles, gesturing vaguely toward the counter. “Coffee first.”

Smirking, Tony turned and grabbed the pot of coffee, refilling his own mug as he walked over to Bruce. 

With busy hands and a distracted glance, Bruce reached for the pot of coffee and narrowly missed. Tony let go, and the pot fell onto the table, overturning and sending its contents across Bruce's handwritten notes.

“Shit!”

Bruce cursed, flying to save whatever he could of the notes as Tony grabbed up napkins and tried to stop the flow of the coffee across the table.

Like many things in his life, Tony had been too late to stop it, and he watched as dark brown coffee seeped into a nearby USB port and sparks flew through the air. All at once, it was like fireworks were lighting up the lab, and Bruce jumped back with wide eyes, screaming at Tony to put them out.

Thankfully, this was not the first of Tony's lab fires, and it wasn't long before the sparks were out and the two of them were panting and staring back at one another.

Before either of them could get a word in, alarms rang throughout the lab, and Tony's stomach fell. 

“Fuck!” he shouted, heading for the central control unit that showed all of JARVIS’ main functions. If JARVIS’ system had short-circuited, Tony would be in for a much longer night than he'd planned. 

Bruce watched him go with wide eyes and a nervous fear in his gaze. He'd hate to be kicked out of the tower, but it would be much worse if he'd broken the thing that Tony loved most. Sighing, Bruce fell back against the counter and tried to take deep, calming breaths. 

After a long minute, Tony returned, shaking his head and wiping it with the back of his hand. “Well, all the main lights are still on,” he said. Bruce nodded in reply. 

Tony’s gaze turned up toward the ceiling,  which up till now had been worryingly quiet. Bruce watched as Tony cocked his hips, resting both hands on them.

“JARVIS?”

“I am here, sir,” JARVIS answered, as though he'd been distracted by overly dramatic television reruns. “All major operating systems seem to be functional, with the exception of one minor glitch.”

Tony’s shoulders visibly sagged, and Bruce watched him sigh in relief. Then, Tony’s brows dipped in confusion. 

“What is it, J?”

“It’s the clock, sir. It doesn’t seem to be responding.” 

Tony shook his head, waving it off and turning back to his desk. “That’s alright, J. I think we can survive withou–” 

Then, he remembered.  _ Shit. _

He was going to tell Bruce at midnight. 

Tony stopped in his tracks, and Bruce eyed him curiously. “What, you can’t survive the night without JARVIS’ clock?” 

“Ah-”

Slowly, Tony turned toward him, his heart pounding in his chest. It had been fifteen minutes ‘till midnight when chaos had struck. Putting the fire out had no doubt cost him a good ten minutes. Factor in checking on JARVIS’ wiring and cleaning up the coffee stains, and it was time for the new year to begin. 

“Of course, I just– had really been looking forward to ringing in the new year with you,” Tony replied through his teeth, thankful for how easily they filtered out the truth. 

Bruce stared back at him, and Tony watched as a soft smile stretched over his lips. “Really?” he asked, pushing off the counter and sauntering toward him. “Well, Happy New Year, then, Tony,” he smiled, standing close enough to touch but too far away to kiss. 

His breathing felt tight in his chest, but Tony stared at Bruce with a new kind of respect. “Ha-happy New Year, Bruce,” he stuttered, willing himself to get it all out there before he could stop himself. “There  _ is _ actually something I wanted to tell you,” he began.

Bruce’s brows curled inward, and Tony followed them with a soft smile. 

“I’m gay. Well, bi, actually. But, you know, same principles,” Tony  muttered , and then took a shallow breath to cushion the blow of whatever would come next. 

Instead, a simple, “I know,” was all Bruce gave. 

Tony opened his eyes, belatedly realizing that he'd been holding them shut, and stared back at Bruce. 

“What?” he asked, not really sure that he was even speaking. 

“Pepper told me on her way out,” Bruce replied blankly, gesturing calmly near his chest with his glasses held in one hand. “Something about a conflict of interests with a lab partner of yours?”

Tony’s eyes widened, and he took a defensive step forward as he spoke. “I don’t know about any of that, but I did want you to know, since– you know, we see each other so much and all.” 

Inwardly, Tony slapped himself in the forehead, once for digging himself a hole and a second time for jumping into it.

“Uh huh,” Bruce eyed him curiously as a smirk began tugging on his lips. “Well, thanks for telling me, Tony. I’d make a toast, but uh, we kinda-” Bruce gestured backward, glancing at the still-drying table, “spilled all the coffee.” 

Bruce’s eyes skipped back and forth between Tony and the floor, and Tony watched as the thought crossed Bruce’s mind. 

“But, since we’re making confessions,” he started, his voice drawn and careful. “I guess it’s only fair that I tell you that I’m on the spectrum, too.” Tony’s lips fell open and a choked laugh escaped. “Demisexual, if you’re curious,” Bruce added quickly, reaching his hand out between them as if to correct himself. 

Tony stared back at him with wide, delighted eyes. He was shocked, but not surprised, and a light kind of happiness began to bubble in his chest, as though he had been drinking champagne all along.

“Touchè, doctor,” he heard himself saying, followed by, “I never would have guessed,” although he really would have. “Here’s to us, then. May it be a bright and happy new year.”

Without missing a beat, Bruce gave Tony a snide grin and answered, “I believe the word you’re looking for is ‘gay.’ ”

“Oh, my god,” Tony snorted out a laugh, reaching up for a well-deserved high five. Bruce took the offer with a smile, quietly chuckling underneath  bated breath. 

“We really do spend too much time together,” he conceded warmly, staring back into Tony’s eyes as though he were verging on a self-contained realization. “I’m starting to sound like you.”

“Heh,” Tony smirked, nervously returning his gaze. “Just don’t start yelling at JARVIS and you’ll be fine.” 

“He would never, sir,” came JARVIS’ calm, pretentious voice. “Shall I categorize project file ‘Rainbow Brite’ as complete?” 

Hanging his head, Tony could do nothing but laugh. 

_ The End _


End file.
